Cragnea, Land of Giants

Cragnea, Land of Giants

“Welcome, shrimplings, to the Land of Giants. May you serve our lord and master well. Or else…” – Giant Taskmaster

Cragnea, the westernmost continent in the world of Tazuros, is home to thousands of mighty giants. The huge creatures came into power roughly 200 years ago after dominating the other humanoid races that inhabited the land. Humans, elves, and dwarves alike were enslaved, forced to farm, mine, and build for their towering overlords. Every notable rebellion against the giants have been crushed completely.

12 years ago, other nations from around the world banded together to topple the giant scourge and to free those oppressed under their rule. The resulting war lasted 10 years. Even after a decade of fighting, the alliance could not defeat the giant empire on their home turf. With staggering casualties, the alliance gave up the cause and retreated back to their respective homes, leaving those enslaved still under the thumb of the giants and the status quo unchanged.

With the threat of war gone, life in Cragnea became peaceful once more. Peaceful for the giants, at least. The humans and other enslaved races continued working like dogs for their masters, always living with the fear of being squashed for disobedience, population control, or “fun”.

Some people are lucky enough to be allowed to live in small farming settlements under the watchful eye of giant barons and their soldiers. These slaves tend to the fields and flocks in order to feed the nation. These people live in shanties or even smaller tents. It’s not a great life, but at least there’s fresh air and the opportunity for a full night’s rest.

Some less lucky people have been allowed to live within the slums of major giant cities. These souls are forced to smith weapons and armor for the giants, as well as remove waste and other degrading tasks. Though the jobs may be dirty, the housing is slightly better than that of the farmers.

And then there are the poor, unfortunate souls who are forced to mine ore for the giants deep within the earth. The light is dim, the air is filthy, and the work is brutal. Mining slaves are kept underground for most of the day and are fed very little. They are only permitted to sleep for a couple hours outside the cave entrance before being herded back down the shaft. Slave turnover is extremely high, as most die within the first week of labor. Those in the mines welcome death. They have given up the hope of ever seeing sunlight again.

You are one of these poor, unfortunate souls. In recent years, the giant empire’s machinations have begun to increase. More and more people are being transferred to the mines, yourself included. The demand for ore and rocks have skyrocketed. Something big is in the works. You can feel it…